Political gag that is too cheesy

You'd agree, right? Of course, fried rice and candy corn run a close second.

Now pizza has become a pawn, making a mockery out of our political process, the result of a malignant marketing plan that's sure to harm the health of the sponsor.

My beloved Pizza Hut began a light-hearted campaign to promote a product. It announced a new political group called "The Pizza Party." The company used it to support its candidate, a special box dinner.

It even enticed "party" registrants with free stuffed pizza rollers for joining.

It's a cute, harmless if not corny way to jump on the campaign bandwagon and separate their message from the clutter of fast-food advertising.

Then they want too far.

Eight days after announcing the Pizza Party, Pizza Hut made an offer some nitwit won't be able to refuse.

The company is offering a prize to anyone at Tuesday's town hall presidential debate who asks the candidates "Sausage or pepperoni?"

The reward? A large pie a week for 30 years or $15,600.

No one is going to take pizza over the cash, otherwise their prize from Pizza Hut will turn into a pizza butt.

So it comes down to fifteen grand for three words, or five grand a word. That's a remarkable payday for a few seconds of work.

Or is it? There's no doubt the winner will become as maligned as balloon boy's dad.

The contest is a tacky commercial ploy that messes with an almost-solemn process used to help select the president of the United States.

Wasting even a few moments on this distracts everyone and forever extinguishes an opportunity to seek information.

Pizza Hut is part of a publicly traded food company called YUM! Brands. Maybe it should be renamed "Dumb Brands."

Some knucklehead in upper management had to have approved this idea.

In doing so, I think they've disgraced the company and its long established brands, including Taco Bell and KFC.

I'm not a believer that any publicity is good publicity. I doubt Lindsay Lohan or Mel Gibson are either.

This type of opportunistic advertising reinforces the ugly American stereotype by polluting such an important forum with a cheap commercial distraction.

It should be beneath us. I hope it is.

Pizza Hut still has time to rescind its offer.

Please, just say "only kidding." You'll still make your point without tempting some economically distressed dummy to behave badly.

Now Pizza Hut, about those pizzas for 30 years. Are they sausage or pepperoni?